Suction-feed roller



mmh 25, 1929 A. HWQADMEYEW M7072 S UCTION FEED ROLLER Original Filed Nov. 19, 1926 61u01 met Patented Mar. 26,

k[UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.ALBERT IBROADMEYER, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE W. C).A

HICKOK MFG. 00., OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

SUCTION-FEED ROLLER.

original application led November 19, 1926, Serial No. 149,471. Divided and this application led March 3, 1928. Serial No. 258,959.

The present invention relates to suction rollers that are utilizable for a large number of purposes, but are peculiarly effective' for feeding or acting upon sheets of paper.

@ne ot the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism'that is peculiarly effective for feeding relatively thick sheets, such as cardboard which will not give or bend with the usual curved peripheral surface of the roller. .The structure, however, is entirely practical for the feeding or light or thin sheets as well, and creates a peculiar breaking action in separating the sheet being moved from an underlying sheet. 0

The present application is a division ofapplication, Serial No. 149,471, filed Nov. 19, 1926.

lu the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the roller,

Figure 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section on the line 2-2 ot Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View on the line .3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a detail face View of the portion oi the disk having the slot.

1n the embodiment disclosed, a drive shaft 4 is provided, on which is slidably keyed the suction roller, comprising a rotary body 5 that has its peripheral face formed with a series of angularly disposed iiat sections or portions 6. Opening through these flat faces are suction ports 7 that communicate with longitudinally disposed passageways V8, which in turn open through one end of the body 5. n

Said body has at said end an outstanding hub 9 that rotates with the body and passes through a collar 10. The collar and hub are held against detachment by lock nuts 11 threaded on the hub and abutting against the collar. The said collar is formed with a neck 12`provided with a sleeve 13 surrounding a suction tube 14 and said neck has a suction conduit 15 that terminates in a port 16 opening through the inner end of the collar 10 and in line with the open ends of the passageway 8. It will be understood that the curved slot 18 that affords communication conduit 14 is connected to the intake end of any suction device, such as a pump, and for an example of the mounting thereof and the connections, attention may be called to my prior Patent, No. 1,494,303, granted me May 13, 1924.

interposed between said collar 1() and the adjacent end face of the body 5 is a disk 17 that covers the open ends of the passageways 8. Said disk is, however, provided with a between said ends of the passageways 8 and the suction ort 16. As the roller revolves, the disk 17 1s held against rotation with the suction roller. To this-end it is provided with an ear 19 through which is threaded an adjusting screw 2O that bears on the neck 12. A lock nut 21 serves to hold the screw in its adjusted position.

l/Vith this construction it will be evident` that when the roller is rotated, the open ends ot the passageways 8 will be successivelybrought into communication through the slot 18 with the suction port 16, and if suction is created in the passageway 15, obviously there will be successive indrafts of air through the sets of ports 7 opening through the flat faces 6. It then the active ports 7 are associated with sheets of paper, the paper will close said ports and be moved by their adherence to the rotating suction roller body. As the face portions or sections 6 are flat, a relatively broad bearing surface is presented to the sheet being carried, and a substantially air-tight joint is secured that is not obtainable where the ports open through the rounded face of a truly cylindrical body. `While this makes the structure peculiarly desirable for heavy sheets and-cardboard, it has an advantageous action with sheets of any kind, for as the flat face carrying the 90 sheet begins to move upwardly or in an angular direction to its point of original contact the relatively sharp straight corner at its rear end will cause a longitudinal pucker in the sheet that will break said sheet away from g5 the underlying sheet and thus better insure their separation so that the usual air blast can nd access to a space between the sheets.

I This avoids to a material degree the danger of two sheets being carried alon together. Bfy turning the disk 17 through t e medium o t he adjusting screw 20, the position of the ends of the slot 18 can be varied thereby advancing or retarding the point at-whieh suc-Y v tion begins.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advanshape, proportion and vminor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the `hereindescribed invention.

What claim as new, 1s:

v i l 1. In sheetffeedingmechanism, a rotatable said flatportion,

head provided with va relatively fixed substantially continuousperipheral face having a l'substantially Hat portion, an air intake port opening through said lia-t portion, and means for creating suction through said port at one point to cause a portion only of a sheet to adhere to said vfiat rtion Y and 'cutting ofi' such suction when said portion hasmade less than a quarter turn to bend the sheet about the rear end of said flat portion and then release it topermit it to movein a substantially tangential path away from the head.

2. In sheet feeding mechanism, a rotatable head provided with a substantially continuous peripheral roller face having a substantially fiat `portion with a substantially straight breaking edge across the peripheral face, an air intake and means for creating suction through said port at one oint vto cause a portion Aonly of a sheet to adhere to said flat portion and cutting off such suction when said portion has made less than a quarter turnto bend the sheet about the rear straight breakin and then release 1t to permit it to move in a lubstantially tangential ypath away from the .3. In sheet feeding mechanism, a rotatable head provided with a relatively fixed substantially continuous peripheral` face 'having a plurallty of fiattened portions, air intake Lvports. opening through said flattened portions, and means for'causing suction successively through said ports as they successively .reach a predetermined position upon the rotation Aof the head to cause portions of sheets to adhere to said attened portions and cutting ofl:l said suction when said portions have made less than a quarter turnto bend the 'sheets around the rear ends of said flattened portions and then release them to permit 4them to move in a path generally tangential to the head. v

4.- In sheet feeding mechanism, a rotatable i head provided with a relatively fixed periphport opening through edge of saidiiat portioneral face having a substantially fiat portion, an air intake port openin through said portion and through one en of the head, and a suction conduit having a mouth traversed by said end of the head and having the intake port thereby moving into communication with the conduit at one point upon the rotation of the head to attach a portion of a sheet to the fiat portion, said intake port moving out of communication with themouth after the flat portion has moved to an angular position less than a quarter turn to first bend the sheet and break 1t from an underlying sheet and then permit it to move edgewise away 'froin the head in a substantially tangential pat 5. In sheet feeding mechanism, a rotatable head provided with a relatively fixed peripheral face having a plurality of fiat portions, intake ports openin through said portions and through one en of the head, and a suction conduit having` a mouth traversed by said end of the head and having the intake ports thereby moving successively into communication with the conduit at one point upon the rotation of the head to attach sheets thereto and causing them to bend about the rear edges of. said fiat portions, said intake Yreach a predetermined position during the rotation of the head to attach portions of sheets flat against said lat portions and hold them until said sheets have been bent around said transverse ridges and after such bending operation, cutting off the suction successively tliroughthe ports to cause said head to move the sheets edgewise away from the head.

7. In sheet feeding mechanism, a rotatable head provided with a peripheral sheet engaging face, said face comprising a successivo series of substantially flat angularly disposed portions `having meeting ends that form a. plurality ofi breaking ridges or ribs across the peripheral face, air intake ports opening e through said faces, and means for creating suction successively through the ports as they reach a'predetermined position during the rotation of the head.

8.- In a sheet'feeding mechanism, a rotatable headprovided wlth a peripheral sheet -engagin face provided with relatively fixed outstan ing transversely disposed breaking litt' ridges or ribs, air intake ports opening such attachment until the sheets are bent through the periphery between the said about the ridges and then cutting o the sucridges or ribs, and means for creating suctiontorelease the sheets and cause their ed e- 10 tion successively through the ports as they wise movement away from and substantla 1y E reach a predetermined position during the tangentialtothe head.

rotation of the head to attach portions of In testimony whereof, I aiiixm si nature sheets flat against the flat portions, maintain ALBERT BROAD E ER. 

